Honda Odyssey people-mover – a firm family favourite

Honda’s Odyssey people-mover has long been a firm family favourite and I recently re-acquainted myself with one. The number 2 selling people mover behind Kia’s Carnival but more car-like in layout the Odyssey comes in two models – the base VTi at 37,990 which is an eight-seater and the top-spec VTi-L – at $47,590, in this case, a seven-seater with two captain’s chairs in the second row rather than the VTi models’ three-seater bench. It retains its 2.4-litre engine, linked to a continuously variable automatic with manual paddle shifters. Superbly built and finished the Honda Odyssey’s best feature, especially in the VT-iL as tested is seat versatility – for example the second row captain’s chairs can move sideways allowing mum to find her way back to the kids in the third row seats. The continuously variable automatic really benefits from the manual paddle shifters on the steering wheel and it’s an easy driver. Now equipped with the Honda Sensing suite of driver-assist technologies like adaptive cruise control, forward collision warning, autonomous emergency braking, lane keep assist and road departure mitigation the Honda Odyssey wants for little – a long wheelbase gives it a comfortable ride, great individual captain’s chairs in high grade leather give the VT-iL a real touch of prestige. Improved over six generations perhaps the only criticism you can have is that perhaps it’s time for a makeover – having said that as a family carrier they don’t come much finer. I’m David Berthon